Medical scrub maker faces delays in mailing protective gear to frontline workers

Fragment of medical work wear with protective mask and stethoscope.(Getty Images/iStockphoto/sudok1)

Because the pandemic has increased how many people are shopping online, a medical scrub supply company is reporting major delays in frontline workers getting their uniforms.

Instead of waiting a day or two, some people buying scrubs are waiting up to three weeks for them to arrive.

“Between the explosion of online sales between the holiday season between COVID I think that’s just a recipe for disaster,” said Steven Zeldes, CEO of AvaCare Medical and president of Medical Scrubs Collection.

He said about 30% of their orders are seeing major delays.

“It’s been crazy, it’s been absolutely crazy,” Zeldes said. “The fact of the matter is that there are health care workers that are waiting for their scrubs, they’re waiting for the uniforms.”

Part of it is an increase in scrub orders.

He said because of the coronavirus, many health care workers who don’t usually wear scrubs have switched for sanitary reasons.

This caused an increase in orders unlike anything they’ve seen before.

Also, with how fast shipping normally is, he said a lot of people are expecting packages to come in just a couple of days.

“I think it’s just part of working through another dilemma that we’ve come to bump into from because of COVID and we’ll get through it,” Zeldes said. “It’s no one’s fault. I do see companies adapting to it and I think we’ll get through it and I think will be stronger at the end.”


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Valerie Bonk

Valerie Bonk started working at WTOP in 2016 and has lived in Howard County, Maryland, her entire life. She's thrilled to be a reporter for WTOP telling stories on air. She works as both a television and radio reporter in the Maryland and D.C. areas. 

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